Dust suppression means for mining machines

ABSTRACT

A shearer mining machine having dust suppression equipment including a releasably fixed phasing element for distributing water only to the cutting portion of the drum, has a first member having a ring of teeth rotatable only with the phasing element on a non-rotatable second member having abutments engagable with the teeth. One of the members is spring loaded into the engaged position and in order to change the portion of the drum fed with water as is necessary when the direction of machine travel is reversed, the operator much overcome the spring loading and disengage the two members.

United States Patent French et a1.

[ Oct. 23, 1973 Inventors: Albert Graham French, Willington;

David Edward Keast, Ashby-de-la-Zouch; Terence Oven, Burton-on-Trent, all of England Coal Industry (Patents) Limited, London, England Filed: Jan. 3, 1972 Appl. No.: 215,006

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 1, 1971 Great Britain.... 00,080/71 rm. Cl. 1221c 35/22 Field of Search 299/81 References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Great Britain 299/81 V 22 Ev 2O S' -s 0;. 2b il 24 ;,Qr" '7 34 All.

u.s. Cl. .Q. .Q. 299/81 Primary Examiner-Ernest R. Purser AttorneyRichard K. Stevens et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A shearer mining machine having dust suppression equipment including a releasably fixed phasing element for distributing water only to the cutting portion of the drum, has a first member having a ring of teeth rotatable only with the phasing element on a nonrotatable second member having abutments engagable with the teeth. One'of the members is spring loaded into the engaged position and in order to change the portion of the drum fed with water as is necessary when the direction of machine travel is reversed, the operator much overcome the spring loading and disengage the two members.

11 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 48 46 5052 IO 38 b8 Patented Oct. 23, 1973 T 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Oct. 23, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 DUST SUPPRESSION MEANS FOR MINING MACHINES This invention relates to dust suppression means for mining machines and in particular to dust suppression means for mining machines of the type including a rotary pick carrier, e.g., a shearer drum, which, in operation, has at any given instant, only a proportion of the total number of cutting picks carried by it in cutting engagement with a mineral face. 4

it has already been proposed with such a machine for the dust suppression means to feed fluid into the rotary tool carrier from where it is discharged radially outwards towards the circumferential cutting portion of the carrier.

One known such dust suppression means used with a shearer type machine comprises a releasably fixed tube which extends along the rotary drive shaft of the shearer cutting drum and which conveys the fluid, e.g., water, from a supply provided on the machine body to a distributor located within, for rotation 'with, the drum, arranged to feed the water to a plurality of pipes or passages located angularly around the drum which convey the fluid to the radially outer portions of the drum. A phasing disc is mounted on the end of the tube so as to rotate only with the tube and to co-operate with the distributor so that water is sequentially fed to only selected pipes or passages associated momentarily with the cutting zone of the drum. The tube is prevented from rotating by releasable detent means located on the machine body which engage in a recess in the end of the tube.

One disadvantage of such known dust suppression means is that in order to change the angular position of the phasing disc, so that water may be fed to another portion on the circumference of the drum as may be necessary when the cutting direction of machine travel is reversed so that the cutting zone is moved to the diametrically opposed portion of the drum, the detent means must be released and the drum rotated so that the phasing device is rotated with the distributor. The operator resets the detent means when he considers the phasing disc is in the desired position. This procedure entails a large amount ofhit and miss when'changing the position of the phasing device and is time consuming as several attempts may be required before the phasing disc is fixed in the desired position. in addition a further disadvantage is that the procedure requires the cutting drum to be rotated which when the drum is not cutting can be a dangerous and is undesirable.

An object of the present invention is to provide dust suppression means for a mining machine which overcomes the above mentioned disadvantages.

According to the present invention dust suppression means for a mining machine provided with a rotary pick-carrier mounted on a hollow drive shaft, comprises a releasably fixed tube adapted to extend along the bore of the hollow drive shaft for feeding dust suppression fluid from the body of the machine towards the carrier, a distributor adapted to be mounted within and for rotation with, the carrier for feeding fluid to different angular portions of the carrier, a phasing element mounted on, and for rotation with, the tube and arranged to co-operate with the distributor so that in operation when the carrier is rotating fluid is fed sequentially to selected portions of the carrier, means which rotate with the tube and which are co-operable with further means adapted to be mounted on the body of the machine, one of the means being resiliently urged into the co-operating position so as normally to prevent the tube and the phasing element rotating, but capable of being moved against the action of the resilient force to allow rotation of the tube and phasing element.

Preferably the further means comprises a spring loaded pawl and the said means is a ratchet wheel.

Advantageously, the teeth of the ratchet wheel permit rotation of the wheel against the action of the spring loaded pawl in one direction only.

Alternatively, the further means comprises a ring of teeth and the said means comprises a spring loaded member having projections engageable with the teeth.

The member may be urged by one or more coil springs.

The invention also provides a mining machine including a rotary pick carrier mounted upon a hollow drive shaft' and comprising the above dust suppression means. 7

By way of example only, two embodiments of the invention will be now described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is an end view, partly in section of a first embodiment of dust suppression means for use on a shearer drum mining machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the line AA of HO. 1, showing a part of a shearer drum mining machine; and

FIGS. 3A and 3B are sections along a part of a ranging drum shearer mining machine including a second embodiment of dust suppression means.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, which show the first embodiment of dust suppression means provided on a shearer drum coal mining machine which comprises a body 2 (only a part of which is shown), a hollow, rotary drive shaft ,4 mounted in bearings 6 and drivably connected to a motor (not shown) within the machine body 2, and a rotary tool carrier in the form of a cutting drum 10 (only the hub of which is shown) drivably mounted on the shaft 4-.

In operation the machine is traversed aiong a coal face in a well known manner by the side of a conveyor (now shown) so that coal cut by the cutting drum W is loaded onto the conveyor. As the machine traverses the face, at any given instant, only cutting tools on the loading portion of the drum are in engagement with the coal. Dust suppresion fluid, e.g., water is conveyed by the dust suppresion means from the body 2 of the machine to the drum 10 from where it is discharged into the cutting zone.

The dust suppression means comprises a water inlet flange 12 which is bolted onto the side of the machine body 2 remote from the coal face and which has a water passage 14 leading from the circumference of the flange 12 to an axial bore 16. A tube 18 which extends along the bore of the hollow drive shaft 4, is located within the bore 16. The end of the tube 18 which engages within the bore 16 has two seals 20 which extend radially outwardly from the tube so that annular chamber 22 is formed between the seals 20. Radial holes (not shown) connect the annular chamber 22 to the bore of the tube 18.

A ratchet wheel 24 is fixedly mounted on the plugged end of the tube 18 beyond the seals 20, the wheel 24 being retained on the tube 18 by a split pin 26. The ratchet wheel 24 is provided with two diametrically opposed recesses 27 which accommodate projections on a hand tool (not shown). A pawl 28 accommodated within a radial bore formed in the flange 12, is urged by a spring 30 into contact with the ratchet wheel 24 and a screw attachment 32 can be rotated to adjust the force exerted by the spring 30 on the pawl 28. An annular plate 34 bolted to the flange l2 retains the tube 18 and ratchet wheel 24 in position.

A distributor 36 bolted onto the end of drive shaft 4 within the cutting drum comprises an annular spacing plate 38 and a circular distributing flange 40 provided with a plurality of angularly spaced water passages 42 (only one of which is shown) which have threaded ends 44 for engagement with radial water pipes (not shown) for feeding the water to the circumferential portions of the cutting drum 10. i The distributor 36 also comprises a seal housing 46 and a support bearing 48 for the housing 46 mounted on the tube 18. A spring loaded seal 50 is also mounted on the tube 18 intermediate the bearing 48 and a shoulder 52 of the housing 46. A seal 54 mounted on the tube 18 prevents ingress of mineral particles into the seal housing 46 and also grips the tube 18 with sufficient force to retain the bearing 48 in position on the tube 18.

Within the support housing 46 is an annular thrust plate 56 and a phasing element in the form of a disc 58 which has a cup-shaped portion 60 slidably mounted on the end of the tube 18. The disc 58 is prevented from rotating relative to the tube 18 by a pin 62 secured across the sides of the cup-shaped portion 60 which engages in two longitudinally extending, diametrically opposed slots 64 formed on the end of the tube 18. The phasing disc 58 is urged into contact with a ciruclar projecting portion 66 of the distributing flange 40 by a coil spring 68. The portion 66 closes the adjacent end of the seal housing 46 and is provided with bores 70 which form the innermost ends of the water passages 42. The phasing disc 58 has an arcuate slot .72 which extends approximately 180 around the disc 58 and co operates with the distributing flange 40 so as to close the bores 70 which are not opposite the slot 72.

A circular chamber 74 formed by recesses in the phasing disc 58 and distributing flange 40 and in connection with the bore of the tube 18 ensures that in operation when water is fed through the dust suppression means the axial forces acting on the phasing disc 58 tend to balance, the resultant force being only sufficient to cause the phasing disc 58 to close the bores 70. Although the axial forces on the phasing disc 58 are kept to a minimum, in order to reduce wear it is preferred to have the phasing disc made of phosphor bronze.

The distributor 36 is provided with escape passages (not shown) which feed water to atmosphere should any seal failure occur. This ensures that no water can enter the drive gearing for the cutting drum 10.

In operation water is fed from a hose (not shown) on the machine body 2 into the passage 14 from where it passes via the annular chamber 22, radial passages, and the tube 18 to the phasing disc 58. As the distributor 36 rotates with the cutting drum 10 the bores 70 are sequentially positioned opposite the slot 72 so that water is fed along the passages 42 as they are associated with the cutting zone of the drum l0, i.e., water is fed only to the circumferential portions of the drum within the cutting zone. As the drum rotates and a portion leaves the cutting zone the water feed to that particular portion is cut off. Likewise, when a portion of the drum enters the cutting zone the water feed to that particular portion is turned on.

When the water reaches the circumferential portions of the cutting drum 10 it may be discharged into the cutting zone through nozzles located adjacent to, and directed at, the cutter picks (not shown).

Upon reaching the end of the face the direction of machine travel is reversed so that the portion of the cutting drum 60 which was leading now forms the rear portion, and vice versa. Thus in order that the water may be fed to the leading portion of the cutting drum 10 as the machine travels in the opposite direction, the phasing disc 58 must be rotated through 180.

This achieved by placing the projections on the previously mentioned hand tool into the recesses 27 and turning the tool so that the ratchet wheel24 is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 1. The spring loading on the pawl 28 is such as to prevent undesired rotation of the wheel 24 but allows rotation due to manual operation. The teeth on the ratchet wheel 24 and the pawl 28 are formed so that the ratchet wheel 24 cannot be turned in a clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 1, this direction is that in which the cutting drum l0 normally rotates and the one in which the phasing disc 58 tends to move due to its contact with distributor 36.

Rotation of the ratchet wheel 24 rotates the tube 18 and the phasing disc 58 which can thus be rotated easily and quickly to virtually any desired angular position, the number of possible positions of the phasing disc 58 being determined by the number of teeth on the ratchet wheel 24.

The angular extent of the slot 72 can be varied to suit any particular installation.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B which show a second embodiment of dust suppression means fitted on a ranging drum shearer coal mining machine which comprises a body (only a part of which is shown), a rotary shaft 82 drivably connected to a motor (not shown) within the machine body 80, an arm 84 pivotally mounted on the machine body 80 for movement about the axis of the shaft 82, movemment of the arm 84 being controlled by a hydraulic jack (not shown), and a cutting drum (not shown) which is mounted on a drive shaft'flange member 86 drivably mounted on a hollow drive shaft 88 extending from the free end of the arm 84. The shafts 82 and $8 are interconnected by spur gears 89 housed within the arm 84. The drum and the drive shaft 88 are interconnected by epicyclic gearing 90 comprising a sun wheel 92, on the shaft 88, and three planet wheels 94 (only one of which is shown) mounted on a hollow carrier 96 which is connected by a spline connection 98 to the cutting drum. The planet wheels 94 engage with an annulus gear 99 provided on the casing of the epicyclic gearing 90 and the shaft 88 and the carrier 96 are mounted in bearings 100, 102, respectively. The carrier 96 is also supported by a roller bearing 103.

The dust suppression means comprises a water inlet flange 104 which is slidably located in a recess formed in the side of the casing of the arm 84 remote from the cutting drum, which has an axially extending outer wall 105 provided with a female spline. and which is retained in the recess by an annular plate 108 bolted to the arm casing.

A releasable locking number 107 has an outer male spline which engages with the female spline provided on the wall 105 and with inwardly projecting teeth 110 formed around the inner edge of the annular'plate 108. The locking member 107 is urged axially into engagement with the ring of teeth 110 by a coil spring 106 acting between the flange 104 and the locking member. Outward movement of the locking member 107 is restricted by a circlip 109 accommodated within an annular recess formed in the flange 108.

The flange 104 has two diametrically opposed recesses 120 which can be engaged by projections on a hand tool 121 when it is required to rotate the flange 104.

The flange 104 is sealed within the recess by seals 114, and has radial water passages 115 and an annular recess 116 leading from a passage 119 extedning along the arm 84 and connected to a water supply (not shown). on the machine body 80. The radial passages 115 lead to a blind axial bore 117 formed in an axially extending portion of the flange 104.

One end of a tube 122 is sealably located within the axial bore 117 so that the tube 122 extends successively along the bore of the hollow drive shaft 88 and of the carrier 96. The tube 122 is prevented from rotating relative to the flange 104 by a cross pin 123 engaged in a slot 125 formed in the axially projecting portion of the flange 104. A distributor 124 bolted onto the drive shaft flange member 86 and located within the drum comprises a distributing plate 126 having a series of angularly spaced water passages 128 which radiate from an axial stepped bore 130. The distributor 124 further comprises a flanged adaptor 132 which is slidably mounted on the stepped end of the tube 122, which is accommodated in a recess within, and bolted to, the carrier 96, and one end of which is sealed within the stepped bore 130. The other end of the adaptor 132 is sealed around its outer surface within the recess formed in the carrier 96 by a seal 133 and sealed around its inner face by seals 134 and 136 to the tube 122. The seal 134 is retained in position by a bearing bush 138 and the seal 136 is retained in position by a retainer bush 140. Both bushes 138, 140 are retained in position by circlips 142. Radial passages 144 are provided in the adaptor 132 intermediate the seals 134 and 136, which communicate with an exhaust passage (not shown) within the carrier 96 and which allow water to escape to atmosphere if the seal 136 should fail. Without such an exhaust passage, in the event of the said seal failing, water would pass into the epicyclic gearbox 90.

Cross holes 145 are provided in the tube 122.

A phasing element in the form of a generally D- shaped phasing member 146 is mounted on the end of the tube 122 and is prevented from rotating relative to the tube 122 by a cross pin 140 which engages within two diametrically opposed holes 150 formed in the end of the tube 122. The outer curved surface of the member 146 engages the inner surface of the stepped bore 130 so as to close the adjacent water passages 128. The water passages 128 adjacent to the straight surface of the D-shaped phasing member 146 are open.

In a modified arrangement the D-shaped phasing member 146 is retained within the stepped bore 130 by a'circlip.

Operation of the second embodiment of dust suppression means is as follows, water is fed from a hose located on the machine body along the passage 119 in the casing of the arm 84 to the annular chamber 116 from where itpasses via the radial passages 1 15 to the axial bore 117 in the flange 104 and hence along the bore of the tube 122. Upon reaching the far end of the tube 122, the water passes through the cross holes 145 intothe distributor 124. From the stepped bore 130 of the adaptor 132 the water is fed only to those water passages which as the distributor 124 rotates with the cutting drum are momentarily and sequentially adjacent to the straight face of the D-shaped phasing member 146. Thus water is fed only to the portions of the cutting drum adjacent to the cutting zone.

When it is required to change the position of the phasing member 146, the operator inserts the projections on the hand tool 121 into the recesses and pushes the releasable locking member 107 against the action of the spring 106 so that male spline on'the locking member 107 disengages the ring of teeth 1 10 on the annular plate 108.

The released locking member 107 together with the inlet flange 104 and tube 122 can then be rotated so that the phasing member 146 can be turned with the tube 122, flange 104 and member 107 to virtually any desired position. The hand tool 121 is then removed allowing the locking member 107 to move under the action of the springs 106 to a locked position with the male spline re-engaging the ring of teeth 110. The phasing member 146 is thereby retained against rotation in the new position.

From the above descriptions it will be seen that both the embodiments of dust suppression means provide simple, reliable and quick means of changing the position of the phasing element which do not require the cutting drum to be rotated. Also, both means allow the phasing element to be accurately and quickly set in virtually any desired position.

Both the described embodiments of dust suppression means ensure that upon a seal failing water escapes to atmosphere and not into the gearing for the cutting drum.

We claim:

1., Dust suppression means for a mining machine provided with a rotary pick-carrier mounted on a hollow drive shaft, comprising a releasably fixed tube adapted to extend along the axis of the hollow drive shaft for feeding dust suppression fluid from the body of the machine towards the carrier, a distributor adapted to be mounted within, for rotation with, the carrier for feeding fluid to different angular portions of the carrier, a phasing element mounted on, for rotation with, the tube and arranged to cooperate with the distributor so that in operation when the carrier is rotating fluid is fed sequentially to selected portions of the carrier, first means which rotate with the tube, second means adapted to be mounted on the body of the machine and cooperable with the said first means, and a resilient element resiliently urging one of the means into the cooperating position so as to normally prevent the first means, the tube and the phasing element rotating, the said one means being capable of being moved against the action of the resilient force out of the cooperating position to allow rotation of the first means, the tube and the phasing element, the second means being remote from the axis of the tube so as to expose the first means which thereby is accessible to an operator and is manually rotatable by the operator when the said one means is out of the cooperating position to virtually any desired angular position, the resilient element returning the said one means to the cooperating position when released by the operator to lock the first means in the desired position, the first means not extending in a direction away from the tube beyond the second means.

2. Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 1, in which the second means comprise a spring loaded pawl located in a fluid inlet flange securable to the machine body and the first means comprises a ratchet wheel.

3. Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 2, in which the teeth of the ratchet wheel permit rotation of the wheel against the action of the spring load pawl in one direction only.

4. Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 1, in which the said second means comprise a ring of teeth and the first means comprises a spring loaded member having a projection engageable with the teeth.

5. Dust suppressions means as claimed in claim 4, in which the means comprise two slidably engaged members and a spring acting between the members.

6. Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 1, in which the phasing element comprises a disc having an arcuate recess.

7. Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 6, in which one end face of the discs cooperates with the distributor.

8. Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 1, in which the phasing element comprises a generally D- shaped phasing member.

9. Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 8, in which the outer curved surface of the generally D- shaped phasing member cooperates with the distributor 10. A mining machine having with a hollow drive shaft, a rotary pick-carrier mounted on the hollow drive shaft, and dust suppression means comprising a releasably fixed tube extending along the hollow drive shaft for feeding dust suppression fluid from the body of the machine towards the carrier, a distributor mounted within, for rotation with, the carrier for feeding dust suppression fluid to different angular portions of the carrier, a phasing element mounted on, for rotation with,'the tube and arranged to cooperate with the distributor so that in operation when the carrier is rotating dust suppression fluid is fed sequentially to selected portions of the carrier, first means which rotate with the tube, second means mounted on the body of the machine and cooperable with the first means, and a resilient element resiliently urging one of the means into the cooperating position so as to normally prevent the first means, the tube and the phasing element rotating, the said one means being capable of being moved against the action of its resilient force out of the cooperating position to allow rotation of the first means, the tube and the phasing element, the second means being remote from the axis of the tube so as to expose the first means which thereby is accessible to an operator and is manually rotatable by the operator when the said one means is out of the cooperating position to virtually any desired angular position, the resilient element returning the said one means to the cooperating position when released by the operator to lock the first means in the desired position, the first means not extending in a direction away from the tube beyond the second means.

11. A mining machine as claimed in claim 10, comprising exhaust means for feeding escaping dust suppression fluid to atmosphere. 

1. Dust suppression means for a mining machine provided with a rotary pick-carrier mounted on a hollow drive shaft, comprising a releasably fixed tube adapted to extend along the axis of the hollow drive shaft for feeding dust suppression fluid from the body of the machine towards the carrier, a distributor adapted to be mounted within, for rotation with, the carrier for feeding fluid to different angular portions of the carrier, a phasing element mounted on, for rotation with, the tube and arranged to cooperate with the distributor so that in operation when the carrier is rotating fluid is fed sequentially to selected portions of the carrier, first means which rotate with the tube, second means adapted to be mounted on the body of the machine and cooperable with the said first means, and a resilient element resiliently urging one of the means into the cooperating position so as to normally prevent the first means, the tube and the phasing element rotating, the said one means being capable of being moved against the action of the resilient force out of the cooperating position to allow rotation of the first means, the tube and the phasing element, the second means being remote from the axis of the tube so as to expose the first means which thereby is accessible to an operator and is manually rotatable by the operator when the said one means is out of the cooperating position to virtually any desired angular position, the resilient element returning the said one means to the cooperating position when released by the operator to lock the first means in the desired position, the first means not extending in a direction away from the tube beyond the second means.
 2. Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 1, in which the second means comprise a spring loaded pawl located in a fluid inlet flange securable to the machine body and the first means comprises a ratchet wheel.
 3. Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 2, in which the teeth of the ratchet wheel permit rotation of the wheel against the action of the spring load pawl in one direction only.
 4. Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 1, in which the said second means comprise a ring of teeth and the first means comprises a spring loaded member having a projection engageable with the teeth.
 5. Dust suppressions means as claimed in claim 4, in which the means comprise two slidably engaged members and a spring acting between the members.
 6. Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 1, in which the phasing element comprises a disc having an arcuate recess.
 7. Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 6, in which one end face of the discs cooperates with the distributor.
 8. Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 1, in which the phasing element comprises a generally D-shaped phasing member.
 9. Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 8, in which the outer curved surface of the generally D-shaped phasing member cooperates with the distributor.
 10. A mining machine having with a hollow drive shaft, a rotary pick-carrier mounted on the hollow drive shaft, and dust suppression means comprising a releasably fixed tube extending along the hollow drive shaft for feeding dust suppression fluid from the body of the machine towards the carrier, a distributor mounted within, for rotation with, the carrier for feeding dust suppression fluid to different angular portions of the carrier, a phasing element mounted on, for rotation with, the tube and arranged to cooperate with the distributor so that in operation when the carrier is rotating dust suppression fluid is fed sequentially to selected portions of the carrier, first means which rotate with the tube, second means mounted on the body of the machine and cooperable with the first means, and a resilient element resiliently urging one of the means into the cooperating position so as to Normally prevent the first means, the tube and the phasing element rotating, the said one means being capable of being moved against the action of its resilient force out of the cooperating position to allow rotation of the first means, the tube and the phasing element, the second means being remote from the axis of the tube so as to expose the first means which thereby is accessible to an operator and is manually rotatable by the operator when the said one means is out of the cooperating position to virtually any desired angular position, the resilient element returning the said one means to the cooperating position when released by the operator to lock the first means in the desired position, the first means not extending in a direction away from the tube beyond the second means.
 11. A mining machine as claimed in claim 10, comprising exhaust means for feeding escaping dust suppression fluid to atmosphere. 